"Neighborhood Revitalization Through Home Ownership"

Summer 2012 has brought me a really incredible internship/paid-work experience.  This summer I am interning with a local Syracuse non-profit called Home HeadQuarters, Inc. The organization is committed to creating housing opportunities throughout the underserved areas of Central and Upstate New York.  Firmly believing in their mission, neighborhood revitalization comes through home ownership, HHQ works diligently to get good people into good homes. Too many renters in an area creates for bad neighborhoods (unreliable landlords, no pride, little investment, transient families, etc.)  However, if more people were to own a home, neighborhoods could become more stable and communities could grow to rely on their neighbors.  What I love about HHQ is that they do not just put anyone in a home for the sake of giving them a place to live, professional counselors walk potential homeowners through financing, loan, lender, and home buyer courses to help them learn the ropes of first time home ownership. (really the iconic, teach a man how to fish he will eat for a lifetime mentality).  I am having a ball learning about the organization ... and as someone who thought her future was in education with an internship at Breakthrough Collaborative last summer, the urban housing crisis has really got me thinking about what I could do with my future.

Do you need a reason to think about the urban housing crisis even more?
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/paying-rent-on-minimum-wage/

While interning with HHQ, I'm working closely with both the Grant & Resource Development departments; they each get me out into the field frequently which is something I really enjoy.

One of my projects is called Community Level Outcomes: Success Measures.  Essentially, another girl (Jenn) and I go out into the neighborhoods 1-3 times a week and assess properties in three major neighborhoods throughout Syracuse. We look to see, aesthetically, how the properties stand the neighborhood by ranking them on a 0-5 scale (we look at the quality of the roof, gutters, windows, front door, siding/exterior wall, foundation, garage and the front lawn -- then we give it an over "quality" measure). By assessing neighborhoods in Syracuse this way, Home HeadQuarters (HHQ) is able to measure what kind of impact they are having on different blocks. Each street is then measured against other city blocks to illustrate areas in the city that are in most need of improvement. These measures can then go to city government or other non-profits as benchmarks.

I love working on this project because I get to be out of the office a lot -- not that the office isn't fun (there are a lot of wonderful people I have met at HHQ..) but, a cubical job isn't something I have really pictured in my future. This job (particularly with the professionals I am interning with) has demonstrated that cubical jobs can be very interpersonal depending on what kinds of tasks you are set to accomplish. With this project, I can interact with people in the office AND set out on foot interacting with the "every-day" folk. I am really getting to know the city I live in -- even if just to know streets and different ways to get "from here to there.."  Additionally, it is fun to be out among the people who live in these neighborhoods asking them questions and hearing their perspectives. As someone really motivated by community building, this is a very unique opportunity to put my community geography skills to good use!

My other major project is helping to organize the one big fundraiser of the year for HHQ: Block Blitz.  On September 14, 2012 HHQ takes two neighborhoods by storm by completely "blitzing" the block. Sometimes great revitalization in a neighborhood can come from updating (or sprucing up) home exteriors (though, not all the time, of course).  This event brings together volunteers from the community, major corporations, and contractors/home builders to donate their time, money and expertise in assisting a day-long neighborhood repair/fix-up! I am working on the initial stages: mailing letters to potential sponsors and building contractors, cold-calling sponsors and volunteer groups, and advertising/marketing the event. I enjoy putting on events and have some experience after my involvement with the 'Cuse Spot; I am certain this event will take a lot out of me, but the payoff will be huge!

With a unique mission, HHQ is determined to revitalize neighborhoods through home ownership. That is something I have really learned to agree with and understand. Syracuse has its rough spots, no doubts, but being out on the ground has given me greater appreciation for the place I am learning to call home.  

Study Abroad Should Be Required

A short while ago, I received an email recommending this article:
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/05/20-big-reasons-study-abroad-should-be-required-today/

As someone who has had the opportunity to "study abroad" twice through university programs, I am obviously an advocate. Reading this article confirmed things I already felt toward study abroad programs. Check it out.

My New Pad

Like last spring semester, some friends and I have decided to live in an off-campus apartment. It gives each of us so much more autonomy and is much cheaper than living in the on-campus dormitories. Last spring we subletted from some girls because we all came back from a semester abroad. I am really excited to be living in the same place all year this time around. It really gives the five of us some time to make it our own.

We are renting the top-floor apartment of this house; quite the beauty, considering other housing options in the Syracuse greater-campus neighborhoods. I am really psyched, for everything but paying the rent! I'll be living with my Freshman/Sophomore roommate Samantha, my junior year roommates Chelsea (while she is here in the fall) and Laura (she will be taking Chelsea's place after she graduates in the spring), and our good friend Megan.

I moved in June 1st and have been living in Syracuse while working at my summer job here in town. I have really loved being up near the campus in the summer. Everything is much more vibrant and warm in Syracuse during the summertime. So far I have been to "The Taste of Syracuse," where they showcased local restaurants, and the Greek Festival, where I filled up on Gyros. There is a fun bar scene to enjoy downtown, and everything seems a lot more fun when there aren't a ton of frat boys roaming around campus. So far, summer 2012 has been a lot of fun.

Here are some pictures of my place, all courtesy of my roommate Samantha Poccia:

We live on the top floor apartment; we also have roof access, which I quite enjoy

One half of our living room; I'm excited for the fireplace

The other half of our living room

The dining room area off the kitchen

Our (kind of) weirdly designed kitchen; the sink is on the other side

Our bathroom; thankfully it has all new fixtures - that puts my germaphobic tendencies at ease

My bedroom!

I don't even feel the need to repaint (although I can) because it already seems like me

Israel: the captivating conflict

Air France took me on another adventure of a lifetime...

Israel's flag blowing in the breeze with a beautiful Tel Aviv Skyline behind..

From May 10-28, 2012, I had the incredible opportunity to travel around Israel with a Syracuse study abroad program. One of the countries I have wanted to visit for a long while, Israel is a really unique place; it is often categorized as the crossroads of the world. Sitting perfectly between three continents, Israel is a dynamic location with extraordinary culture, cuisine and conflict.

As it was only a two week program, I definitely did not explore every aspect of the country, but I surely got a feel for Judaism and the role Israel plays in the middle east. 

There was only a small group of nine that went on the program (from L-R: Malinda, Me, Hunter, Caitlin, Ardean, Scott, Linda (Program Leader, front), Mushi (back), Victor, and Chris).  One of the interesting aspects of this particular program is the "exchange" component of it; our group traveled to Israel for a two week program and the students we met there will be traveling to Syracuse for a three week program in late September.  It was really great getting to know the Israeli students and knowing that we will see them again in the states.  As I mentioned, this was a study abroad program -- even though it was during my summer-break from school, we still attended school. Classes were held at the beautiful IDC (Interdisciplinary Center) Herzliya campus.  We had several lectures a day all taught by different professors, each specializing in something different. Everything from: The formation of the state of Israel, Religion and Culture of Israel, Rifts within Israeli society, Global Terrorism, Hezbollah and the Middle East, Cyber-Terrorism and others.

We had some really amazing lectures from very knowledgeable people.  One class day even took us to the Knesset, which is the Israeli Parliamentary Government building in Jerusalem -- the capitol of Israel:

 I would be the only person looking away from the camera..

We were accompanied by Yoti (far right), the girl I later stayed with on my last night in Isael

We were able to get to Jerusalem twice though, which was really nice!  It was an amazing feeling to be standing in such an incredible city.  Given all that I have learned and heard about Jerusalem, being there in person was beyond surreal.  As one of the oldest cities in the world, with such religious history and purpose, it was difficult to be spending only one afternoon there - you could realistically spend more than a week in the nearly 50 sq. miles.

Part of Jerusalem's Old City

Home to the Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Seen: The Western Wall, The Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount

Jerusalem is characterized as such a unique place, and after being there it was obvious why.  Although the old, religious city is such a relatively small place, the three major religions are all competing for the same space and recognition.  While in Jerusalem I was able to walk through the underground Western Wall, visit the Christian, Jewish and Muslim quarters (which was mostly the old, market cities), and the Church of the Holy Sepelcry (which in itself holds a lot greater meaning for the Christian faith..). After visiting all of these great religious sites, it is challenging to not understand the tremendous land-conflict occurring all over the middle east right now, and in Jerusalem especially.

Independently, as a small group, some of us decided to travel on one of our free Friday's to the Masada and the Dead Sea in south eastern Israel.  Since it wasn't built into our original schedule, some of us thought it would be a good use of time to visit this old and important landmark.  

The Masada, which is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications, is located on top of an isolated plateau on the very eastern edge of the Judaean Desert.  Overlooking the vast and empty Dead Sea, it is best known for the violence that occurred there between the Jews and the Romans in the first century.  Eventually, during the first Jewish-Roman War, the seige of the plateau by the Roman Empire led to a mass suicide of all the Jews who lived there. 

The Dead Sea, which is also sometimes called the Salt Sea, is a very large salt lake holding the border between Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank.  It is Earth's lowest elevation on land, with its surface and shores 423 meters below sea level.  It is such an incredible place to be; the Dead Sea is most well known to be the lake in which you can just float.  With such high saline content, it is actually difficult to move through at times because you are so buoyant in the water. And.. believe me.. you do not want some of the water to get into your eyes.

An interesting ride to the Masada/Dead Sea through the West Bank and Palestine..

The Arab people are notoriously far less fortunate than Israeli citizens, which creates obvious riffs in an already complicated system.

On top of the Massada

Looking out toward a vast Israeli desert nothingness

We were pretty low in the Earth..

Malinda, Caitlin and I enjoyed the mud-covering portion of the Dead Sea Adventure

Apparently, your skin feels incredibly smooth after you bathe; I just felt itchy

Going with a school/abroad program allowed me to do some really unique things. The same tour guide who brought us to Jerusalem took us on a tour of the north.  We were able to visit Caesaria (an ancient seaport in north-western Israel dominated by different groups for thousands of years), Nazareth, and all the way up to the Golan Heights -- which is the disputed land area between Israel and Syria. We stood 4 miles from the Syrian border, which was beyond cool. Even though their country is going through a lot right now, being on the border in the midst of beautiful farm land and mountains put the conflict into perspective for me. This land means something to the people who live on it (or maybe, the people who want to live on it).

60 kilometers from Damascus and only 800 kilometers from Bagdad?!

Through the IDC we were also invited to hear the current Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, speak in front of the school. It was a really unique experience, and I felt incredibly honored to be there. It was a reminder that people in foreign policy are constantly traveling and meeting with others all over the world. That was confirmed when we got to meet and speak with members of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. They told us about their career paths and how they got to serve at the level of government that they do. It was all a really enriching experience for me, and I found the passion for international affairs still lives within me.

Each day there was something new to explore. Some days it was a new restaurant or a new way to eat hummus. Often it was a new part of the Mediterranean. I even saw The Avengers in a beautiful movie theater in Herzliya. I was able to stay with one of the girls from the IDC delegation, Yoti, who will be coming to Syracuse in late September for a day. The people and country are so welcoming. It was a really incredible opportunity that I will never forget. 

And if anything.. I will go back for the mountains, the ocean, and the beautiful flowers in bloom most of the year. You have got to love (or fall in love) with the Mediterranean climate!

As my luck, my own camera broke the very first day I was in Israel. A special thanks/photo cred. for all the pictures goes to Caitlin Landers, Malinda Masing, and Chris Soldovieri.

Points of View

The view from my balcony..

Photo Cred: Malinda Masing

I am definitely going to miss waking up to this beautiful view of the Mediterranean every morning. I type this introductory post about my study abroad trip to Israel from the Hotel Sharon in Herzliya. I have less than 24 hours remaining in this beautiful country; it has truly been one of the best experiences of my life. I have learned a lot about inter-cultural and inter-religious conflicts in the middle east. I have really valued much about Judaism, but am still critical of religion and the role it plays in society. I have broadened my horizons about different career paths available to me, and have seen the vast importance language and culture plays in international job markets.

The point of studying abroad is to learn through different perspectives and to see the world through various lenses. Like India, this trip did that and more for me. International experience is something invaluable to me, and I am very gracious to have been able to travel incredible places in this world.  There is a lot left to explore, and I am ready for it. After, of course, another daunting trans-continental flight home to Henniker.

Things to be happy about:

Supportive friends and family

Achieving a 4.0 GPA this past semester

Warm weather and avoiding sunburns

A nearly one-year anniversary

Continuously exploring Israel on an amazing trip abroad

Learning new things and meeting new people

I have just felt very happy, really lucky, and extremely blessed this past month, especially. May 2012 has brought me amazing things to be incredibly proud of.

I am a Syracuse University Remembrance Scholar

Do you remember the Pan Am Flight 103 attack on December 21, 1988?
Well, 35 Syracuse University students traveling home from a semester abroad died in that plane bombing.

The Remembrance Scholarship at Syracuse University is among one of the most prestigious and well-recognized scholarships across the country. I am humbled to say, I am one of the 35 scholars for the 2012-2013 academic school year.

If you would like to read more about the scholarship, please visit: http://undergraduatestudies.syr.edu/Remembrance/LEVEL%202/Home.html and navigate through the links.

I am so honored, so happy, and so proud to be representing one of the SU victims of that horrible incident 24 years ago.  I am eager to see what Remembrance Week will be like this coming fall!

Study Abroad: Take 2

Doesn't this look like fun?  This is what I will be studying when I go to Israel May 10-May 28 for my second study abroad opportunity of my college career.

In a last minute application decision, I applied to study for a 2.5 week term in Herzliya, Israel.  Called: Israel and Middle East Policy, the program sounded like too incredible of an opportunity to pass up.  The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in partnership with the Lauder School of Government of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya offer SU undergrads foreign study with some of the world's top foreign affairs experts. The IDC's Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) is one of the leading academic institutes and think tanks for counter-terrorism in the world.

I am excited to learn how Israelis view their conflict with the Arab world; in addition, we will be able to explore how Israelis deal with terrorism and other security issues in their country.  There are a number of interesting lectures I get to attend, several travel opportunities (including trips to Nazareth, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee).  Not to mention, I will be staying in a hotel on the Mediterranean ..

Needless to say, as my semester in Syracuse winds down - I am so excited to be in Israel in two weeks!

Dulye Leadership Experience

For the three years I have been in college, Spring Semester is the semester that runs away from me.  Maybe it is the improving weather?  For this semester, perhaps it was re-engaging on and off campus after a semester abroad?  Whichever, I apologize for being behind in this blog that I - promised to keep up with.

The weekend of March 30-April 1 was an incredible weekend for me this year.  I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful experience that Syracuse Alumni, Linda Dulye has created for Syracuse Students: The Dulye Leadership Experience.  Basically, it is an intense-professional-job-skill-building-boot-camp for Syracuse Students.  It is aimed to transport us physically, mentally, and emotionally to a higher ground of preparedness as we graduate college and enter the tough job market.  As someone who has been weighing Grad School vs. Career for my post May 2013 life, this was an excellent leadership seminar.

From the brochure: "Now in its fifth year, the DLE offers powerful techniques, knowledge and networks to help you- the select group of 14 SU juniors and seniors comprising the DLE Class of 2012- to make the leap from college graduate to new hire."

Here were the program goals:

• Provide skills and tools to help shape students' future career path after graduation
• Promote goal setting on both personal and professional levels
• Provide a roadmap that gets students on the track for success in the real world
• Deliver a network of experienced leaders who serve as coaches and mentors during the program, and well beyond, helping students navigate the cultural, operational and political dynamics of business.

...but this is unlike any other "leadership experience" I have ever heard of.  For three days, 14 of us traveled to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts for an all-expense, paid for conference comprised of real post-grads, CEOS, and successful business wo/men offering worth-while tips for me- in the now.

Here are some of the most valuable tips from the speakers that I wanted to share with my friends and family:

From Anne McCarthy, Client Analyst, Burson-Marsteller

"Get Uncomfortable in your new job"

- Move beyond your comfort zone

- Take on "dirty work"

- Be confident: identify problems and propose soultions

- Know when to tell people what you are doing

- Watch how you conduct yourself in a conference call vs. at a bar. Co-workers notice everything.

From Kendell Bryant, Strategic Consultant, CSC

"Let your interests and passions guide you"

- Set up a professional dashboard following trends and articles related to your new field

- Participate in Toastmasters at SU or off campus

- Activate the resources on campus to help land you a job, i.e. Orangelink

- Update that resume often

- Re-invent yourself to help your profile stand out

From David Bartell, Director of Development. Syracuse University

"What do you do in social situations?"

- Have a goal in mind: how many people do you want to network with/meet today

- NO shoulder surfing to spot another person when you are engaging with someone

- Introduce yourself accurately; introduce others, if you can, to show you care about the environment

- Keep one hand free (hold your drink in the hand you don't shake with)

- Stay in the "safe zone" of conversation; no politics, religion, income

- Be appropriate with your napkin at the dinner table

- Follow the lead of your host when ordering drinks/dinner

- Food to mouth, not mouth to food when you are eating

- Pace yourself!

From Rich Armstrong, VP/GM, DRS Power Technology

"Put people before progress"

"Ask clarifying questions while you are the new-guy"

- What's needed?, In What format?, What's the overarching purpose?

- Be a good communicator

- Don't think you know everything

From Brian Burlingame, Senior Director, Pfizer

"Learn how to take calculated risk"

- Always be yourself; relate to people on a "human level"

- Never pass up an opportunity to meet people

- Stay in touch with people you have met/worked for: technology makes it easy

- Revamp that resume every six months

- Create a list of places you could see yourself working

- Keep a journal about who you've met, where they work, when they said they would follow-up

From Sue Edelstein, President/Founder, The Edelstein Group

"So... tell me about yourself"

- Don't list tasks on a resume; list positive outcomes or purposes of projects (accomplishment driven)

- Know why you want to work "here"

- Know the job function

- Talk to employees past/present

- Learn the culture of the company

- Track current events

- Be a consumer yourself

- Study the competition

- Research the annual reports

From Daniel Thompson, Regional VP, Capacity Coverage Company

"Small talk is a fundamental concept"

- Make eye contact (visual)

- Vary your tone of voice (vocally)

- What is it you want to talk about? (verbally)

From Linda Dulye, President/Founder, Dulye & Co.

"Communicating for Success"

- Be inclusive (use "talk with" vs. "talk to")

- Be interactive: relay, relate, receive, and respond to information

- Mix your media

- Nail your message: why is it important?

- Tune in: open ended vs. closed ended questions

- Never lead a bad meeting (PACER structure: purpose, agenda, conduct, expectations, responsibilities)

- Follow-through and follow-up with everyone

- Recognize others, simply: birthdays, significant events, achievements in the office

From Matthew Keator, Partner, Keator Group

"Always live below your income"

- Establish a savings account with a "bunker" (six months worth of expenses: rent, car payments, college loans)

- Have a checking account that can be used with a debit card- forces you to live with what you have

- Open up one credit card

- Open a retirement account: 401k or RotnIRA

Overall it was an incredible weekend full of incredibly knowledgeable and helpful people. I learned a lot about myself and what I want to do.  At the end of the conferences, we were divided into teams to create and propose a business plan- hopefully drawing on all the components of the weekend.  My team, who created a business called "Blitz," is based off the old concept of speed-dating to assist the job hunt.  We won the competition at the end of the weekend! I will take many of these skills with me into job interviews in the near future.  I not only feel more prepared, but more confident about what I can bring to any job.

Viral.

Whether you support it, think it’s a scam, or want to be apathetic… the point is to watch it, think critically, and play a role. Whichever role.

A person I greatly admire is volunteering her time, her efforts, and her huge-heart by advocating on behalf of Invisible Children all over the western U.S. I know she would not be spending her time (after a semester in Africa herself) doing this kind of work if it was not worthwhile..

The video did what it was supposed to do. It educated me. It brought tears to my eyes. And.. it made me think about tomorrow; it made me think about human-nature and the world we live in; it made me think about how someday, I would like to have a “Gavin…” and how I would never want him to live in that kind of place.

Watch it. Spread it. Live it.

Or..

Stand by.